Welcome to Adel Georgia

Adel, incorporated in 1889 and now
the seat of Cook County, is located about thirty miles north
of Valdosta in southGeorgia on Interstate 75. Despite the
rapid growth prompted by the six lanes of interstate running
nearby, Adel has managed to keep its friendly atmosphere and
small-town charm. According to the 2010 U.S. census, Adel's
population was 5,334.

Long before pavement covered its roads, Adel was called
Puddleville. The name stood as a testament to the many water
puddles that saturated low-lying streets after a rainfall.
Rumor has it that the first postmaster, Joel J. "Uncle Jack"
Parrish, saw the name Philadelphia on a croker sack and
pushed to change Puddleville's name. Taking the letters
"a-d-e-l" out of Philadelphia, town leaders arrived at a
unique name and in 1889 celebrated incorporation into the
county, which at that time remained a part of Berrien
County. Not until 1918 did the state legislature establish
Cook County.

The convenience of Interstate 75 also lures many tourists to
Adel and Cook County.
Reed Bingham State Park, located about
six miles from the interstate, is a sprawling state park
that stretches from Cook into Colquitt County and surrounds
a 375-acre lake. In addition to fishing, the park offers
visitors scenic hikes through the southern Georgia
wilderness. Other places of interest include the
Jim
Paulk-Sowega building, which is known as the Watermelon
Building for its exterior watermelon motif. Built in the
1930s, it currently houses Adel's chamber of commerce. A New
Deal mural called Plantation Scene was painted on the side
of the post office in 1941 by Alice Flint.